CSE 19251

Materials Science and Technology

LECTURE 4
Ir. CL KWAN
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

C
Concrete
t

Mix Design
es g
z

Concrete mix design

g can be defined as the p
procedure by
y which, for
any given set of conditions, the proportions of the constituent
materials are chosen so as to produce a concrete with all the
required properties for the minimum cost.
z
z
z
z

Workability
y (())
Strength
Durability ()
Others

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

Mix Design
es g
z

Workability
z
z
z

Mixing

St
Strength
th
z
z
z
z

Water content
Aggregate (size, shape and grading)
Admixtures e.g. plasticizer
Cement type
w/c ratio
Aggregate
Admixtures
e.g. reduction in strength by air entrainment

Durability
z

Transporting
Placing
Compacting
Curing

Strength because it is also used as a measure of quality such as

durability and resistance to weathering
Permeability e.g. admixtures such as air-entraining
air entraining agent result
in low permeability
CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

Mix Design
es g
z

Flow chart for the design of concrete mixes

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

Mix Design

C
Compressive
i St
Strength
th
z

The compressive strength of

concrete shows batch-to-batch
and
d within-batch
ithi b t h variation
i ti

Assume a normal or Gaussian

distribution of concrete
strength
g

Histogram for cube compressive strength

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

Mix Design

C
Compressive
i St
Strength
th
z

Normal distribution
z
z

Mean strength
Standard deviation
z The measure of the variability

s=

( x m)

n 1
where x = an individual result
n = the number of results
m = the mean of the n results

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

Mix Design

C
Compressive
i St
Strength
th
z

Characteristic Strength,
g , fc
z

Cube compressive strength below

which a specified proportion of the
test results
results, often called defectives
defectives ,
may be expected to fall
It is necessary to design the mix
based on the target mean strength
f m = f c + ks

margin

where f m = the target mean strength

f c = the specified characteristic strength
s = the
th standard
t d d deviation
d i ti
k = a constant

k factors used
Percentage of failure

k value

16

1.00

10

1.28

1.64

2.05

2.33

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

Mix Design

C
Compressive
i St
Strength
th
z

Characteristic Strength
g
z

BS 8110
Defective level: 5% or 1 in 20
chance,
h
thi
this generally
ll b
being
i th
the
28-day strength

f m = f c + 1.64s

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

British Method

Reference:
z

Teychenne, D.C., Franklin, R.E. and Erntroy, H.C. (1997) Design of Normal
C
Concrete
Mi
Mixes, Second
S
d Edition,
Ed
D
Department
off the
h E
Environment
i
/ BRE
Neville, A.M. and Brooks, J.J. (1987) Concrete Technology, Longman Group,
UK

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

10

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

11

Example
a peo
of mix design
des g
z

Example 1: unrestricted design

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

o
o
o

Characteristic compressive strength 30N/mm2 at 28 days

Defective rate 2.5%
No previous control data
Cement : OPC class 42.5
Slump required: 10-30
10 30 mm
Maximum free-water/Cement ratio: 0.55
Minimum cement content: 290kg/m
g 3
Coarse aggregate: Uncrushed single sized 10mm and
20mm (1:2 by weight)
Fine aggregate: Uncrushed with 70% passing 600m sieve
Relative density of aggregate: 2.6 (assumed)
Volume of trial mix: 0.05m3
CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

12

Mix Design

30

DOE M
Method
th d
Table 1.
Concrete mix design form

25
2.5

28

0.55
10 30
10-30
20

290

70

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

13

Mix Design

k factors used

DOE M
Method
th d
z
z

Design
g Process
Step 1: Target mean strength
Based on
z Characteristic
Ch
t i ti strength,
t
th fc (specified)
(
ifi d)
z Defective level (specified)
z Standard deviation, s (from test
results or Figure 3)

M = ks
fm = fc + M

P
Percentage
t
off failure
f il

k value
l

16

1.00

10

1.28

1.64

2.5

1.96

2.33

C1
C2

where f m = the target mean strength

f c = the
h characteri
h
istic
i strengthh
M = the margin
s = the standard deviation
k = a constant
t t

Figure 3. Relationship between standard

deviation and characteristic strength
CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

14

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
Table 1.
Concrete mix design form

30
1.96

25
2.5
1.96

30

16

28
8
16
/
46

0.55
10 30
10-30
20

290

70

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

15

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

Step
p 2: Concrete strength
g with a
w/c ratio of 0.5
Based on
z Age
z Cement Type
z
z

42.5
52.5

Type
yp of Coarse aggregate
gg g
z
z

Uncrushed
Crushed

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

16

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

Step
p 3: Target
g w/c ratio
Based on
z Target mean strength (from step 1)
z Compressive strength with a w/c
ratio of 0.5 (from step 2)
z

Target mean strength

46
42

Maximum w/c ratio (specified,

optional)
z

The value got in Fig 4 cannot

exceed the max value specified

0.47

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

Figure 4. Relationship between compressive

strength and w/c ratio

17

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
Table 1.
Concrete mix design form

30
1.96

25
2.5
1.96

30

16

0.47
0.55

28
8
16
/
46

0.47

10 30
10-30
20

290

70

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

18

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

Step
p 4: Water Content (p
(per m3)
Based on
z Target Slump or Vebe time (specified)
z Max aggregate size
(known)
z

10, 20 or 40 mm

Aggregate type
z

(known)

Uncrushed or Crushed

Determine the water content to

achieve the desired workability

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

19

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
Table 1.
Concrete mix design form

30
1.96

25
2.5
1.96

30

16

0.47
0.55

28
8
16
/
46

0.47

10 30
10-30

/
20
160

290

70

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

20

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

Step
p 5: Cement Content (p
(per m3)
Based on
z Free-water/cement ratio (from step 3)
z Free-water
Free water content (from step 4)

Cement content =

free - water content

free - water/cement ratio

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

C3

21

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
Table 1.
Concrete mix design form

30
1.96

25
2.5
1.96

30

16

0.47
0.55

8
16
/
46

0.47

10 30
10-30

160
/

28

/
20
160
340

0.47

290

340

70

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

22

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

Step 6: Wet Density of fully

compacted concrete
(i.e., weight of fresh concrete per m3)
Based on
z Free-water content (from step 4)
z Relative density of aggregate (SSD)
z
z

from testing, or
assumed

2.6 for uncrushed

2.7 for crushed

Step 7: Total Aggregate Content

(kg/m3)

Figure 5 Estimated wet density of fully compacted

concrete
t

Total Aggregate Content (SSD) = D C W

C4

wet concrete density cement content free-water content

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

23

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
Table 1.
Concrete mix design form

30

25
2.5

1.96

1.96

30

16

0.47
0.55

8
16
/
46

0.47

10 30
10-30

160
/

28

/
20
160
340

0.47

290

340
2.6
2400

340

160

2400
1900

70

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

24

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

Step
p 7: Fine Aggregate
gg g
(p
(per m3)
Based on
z
z
z

Max size of coarse aggregate

Workability (slump or vebe time)
Grading of fine aggregate
z

Percentage passing a 600 m seive

Free-water/cement
Free
water/cement ratio
27

Proportion of Fine Aggregate

0.47

Fine Aggregate Content

Fine aggregate content = Total aggregate content
proportion of fines

C5

Figure 6 Recommended proportions of fine

aggregate according to % passing a 600m sieve

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

25

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
Table 1.
Concrete mix design form

30

25
2.5

1.96

1.96

30

16

0.47
0.55

8
16
/
46

0.47

10 30
10-30

160
/

28

/
20
160
340

0.47

290

340

2.6
2400

1900

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

340

160

2400
1900

70
25 to 30, say 27
0 27
0.27
515

26

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

Step 8: Coarse Aggregate (per m3)

C
Coarse
aggregate
t content
t t = Total
T t l aggregate
t content
t t Fine
Fi aggregate
t content
t t
C5
The coarse aggregate content itself can be subdivided if single sized 10, 20 and
40mm materials are to be combined. The following ratios are usually suggested
1: 2 for combination of 10 and 20 mm
1:1.5:3 for combination of 10, 20 and 40 mm
z

Step 9: Batch weight per trial mix

Typically 00.05
05 m3 is sufficient for trial mixes
CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

27

Mix Design

30

DOE M
Method
th d

25
2.5

1.96

Table 1.
Concrete mix design form

1.96

30

16

28
8
16
/
46

0.47
0.55

0.47

10 30
10-30

160
/

/
20
160
340

0.47

290

340

2.6
2400

340

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

340
17.0

160
8.0

2400
1900

70
25 to 30, say 27
0 27
0.27
515
515
1385

1900
1900

0.05

160

515
25.7

460 925
23 46.2
28

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

Step 9:
9 Moisture
o stu e Co
Content
te t Adjustment
djust e t
z
z

z
z
z
z

Saturated surface-dry aggregates are used in mix design

If aggregates
gg g
of other moisture conditions are used, the
adjustment need to be made to the weight of aggregate
and free water added
Oven dry (more free water)
Air-dried (more free water)
Saturated surface-dry
Damp or wet (less free water)

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

29

Mix Design
DOE M
Method
th d
z

Step
p 10: Moisture Content Adjustment
j
Mix design process is based on
Saturated surface dry (SSD) state

If aggregates in a dry condition are used, the batch quantities of the fine and
coarse aggregate should be reduced

100
mass
100 + A
where the absorption A is the percentage by mass of water needed to
bring the dry aggregate to the SSD condition
Accordingly, the mass of mixing water should be increased to allow for the
absorption of aggregate.

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

30

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

Test on trial mixes

Density
Workability:
y
z Slump test or Vebe time Test
Strength
z Making test cubes
z Normal curing
z Compression testing

Adjust the mix proportions if necessary

z
z

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

31

Mix Design

DOE M
Method
th d
z

Adjustment
j
to mix p
proportions
p
z

Density
z

Workability
z

If these is appreciable difference,

the constituent contents per m3
should be corrected by the ratio of
measured density to assumed
density
Adjust the water content (it can be
done by
y an experienced
p
technician during the manufacture
of the trial mix.)

Strength
z
z

Adjust w/c ratio (using Figure 4)

Re-calculate the proportion

CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

32

The End
of the Session
CSE19251 Material Science & Technology Lecture 4

33